Presley Saunders and Diana Bowen tell their stories

A new program format was presented by the Henry County Heritage Trust and the Mount Pleasant Community Theatre. Bob Becker as Presley Saunders and Talisa Jacobs as Diana Bowen told their stories. As early Mount Pleasant residents these descriptions reminded listeners of the importance of the past and also how things have changed through the years. This new format allowed time to visit with the “citizens” from the past. The actors transferred easily from the past to the present and stayed in character.

Presley Saunders was the founder of Mount Pleasant. While he may not have known that Mount Pleasant occupies the highest elevation in the county, he certainly was aware of its beauty. He described the view while standing on the “mount” as pleasant. Hence the name Mount Pleasant.

There was a time when Mount Pleasant was written as Mt. Pleasant. A group of citizens began an effort to rid the abbreviation because Mt. actually stands for mountain. The short version has not gone away entirely.

Another reminder was poignant. These days one expects to spend many years with a spouse. Presley lost his first wife after just six years of marriage. Diana Bowen, his sister-in-law, survived the loss of three husbands. These were not uncommon occurrences of the times.

A nice addition to the information gathered at this unique program would have been a stroll with Presley through Saunders Park along the creek. It is also time for a visit to the cemeteries to observe the monuments. The pictures from the Heritage Trust were vivid reminders to continue to learn about and preserve the past.

Place Sept. 28 on your calendar to learn about two more Mount Pleasant citizens, Samuel Luke Howe and Belle Babb Mansfield.